


Exile on Main Street

by late_night



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural (TV) Fusion, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hunter Eggsy, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-05 02:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4161378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/late_night/pseuds/late_night
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was a Hunter before Kingsman. Not many knew that. In fact only his mother knew that.</p><p>He had thought he was safe. For years, he had been. For years nothing bothered him. </p><p>Then he had to go sticking his nose where it didn't belong</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Good Bye Yellow Brick Road

**Author's Note:**

> Alright! Finally got some of this posted. I'm going to try to post once a week at least. As a ballpark of how long it will be I'm saying roughly 20 chapters or so. 
> 
> The title is the name of a Rolling Stones ablum. 
> 
> My tumblr is Kingsman-of-ages if anyone wants to prompt and/or scream headcanons at me
> 
> Chapter 1 Title is the name of a song by Elton John

It wasn’t that he didn’t know better.

It’s just that he should really know better.

At least, that’s what Eggsy was thinking when he got himself caught in a basement, locked up. He didn’t even have his cool Kingsman suit with all sorts of gadgets to get himself out. Nope, he decided against it and went and made a rookie mistake like he was a fucking amatuer. Which he wasn’t. At all. Which is why this was even more embarrassing than the fact that he was locked up in a basement by a shapeshifter. When (not ‘if’ cos he doesn't play that ‘if’ game) he got out, he was going to take that shifter down and no one ever has to know he made a fucking rookie mistake.

He supposed that he should be more worried about the fact that it was a shifter out there, acting like him as a Kingsman and plotting to kill all his friends painfully while he rotted. As an act of vengeance ‘cause Eggsy had killed his mother or some shit like that the shifter had explained, in a cool, calm manner that just did not look right on his face cos that’s not how he was.

Just, fuck.

So he knew that ignoring the call when the hunter first called was not an option at all. There were steps he could have taken to not get caught sure, but there were a limited number of hunters that would help him and then not rat out his location to other hunters. He could have also remembered that it was a shifter’s nest (if you could call the townhouse a “nest”) and not some other creature’s place.

Course that was all well and good but it certainly didn’t change the fact that he was chained up in a shapeshifter’s basement with little hope of finding a way out before the fucking thing did some serious damage. He pulled again on the chains.

Nada.

Shit.

\-------------------------------

Tugging his wrists through the chains hurt like a bitch, plus the added benefit of now having bleeding wrists from where he forced them through. And he was still stuck in a basement. Perfect.

On the outside, it was a nice, decent town house and plus, the inside was decent as well. The basement however, was disgusting. Filled with rotting something in the corner and nails, pieces of wood and a stone floor, it was the perfect definition of creepy. The door was locked up tight and the windows were shut and sealed. Eggsy pushed on the window, but it wouldn’t budge.

Looking at the lock on the window, Eggsy guessed if he could break it, he’d probably fit through the window. Scrabbling for a nail laying on the floor, he managed the break the lock on the window, scraping the skin off the tops of this knuckles when he did. Blood trailed on the window when he pushed it open using the back of his hand and he managed to get a hold of the cold, damp ground.

Pulling himself up, his feet slid on the side of the basement wall as he tried to force his frame though the tiny window and for a second, Eggsy thought he may have misjudged whether he’d fit though or not.

Once he’d freed himself from the basement, Eggsy walked out to the front of the house, the place was fairly remote, nice enough and as he went back up the steps, he was acutely aware of how vulnerable he was without all his weaponry. Which was in the house, at least that’s where they should be unless the bastard moved them.

As it turned out, they were stuffed in a chest in the hallway. He took the three pure silver knives he had out and placed on in his pocket, one in his boot and the last was kept in his hand along with a loaded handgun in his other.

The shifter had already cleaned house, the place was completely spotless, with a fine layer of dust starting to cover the counters, shelves and furniture. His dark blue 1052 Bristol 401 was still parked outside on the street, a parking ticket that would inevitability be ignored was stuck onto the windshield.  He ripped the ticket from where is was tucked under a windshield wiper and walked around to the driver's side and climbed in. He was about 30 minutes out from the heart of London and roughly 20 away from his and Harry’s home.

Oh God, he immediately thought afterward. Harry.

He thought Harry a very capable man, that much was true. He wasn’t really sure if Harry could stand a chance against a shapeshifter. Especially is such shifter looked like him. While he could fight, he could shoot at “Eggsy” all he wanted, wouldn’t make a damn difference. And Eggsy could only let out a small growl and place a slight bit more pressure on the gas pedal. The sooner he got to that damn shapeshifter that seemed to be out to get him, the better.

When he got back to the nice townhouse he’d shared with Harry, he noticed that all the lights were off except for the dining room light. Glancing around the street he flicked his hood on his jacket up and approached the door, his legs carrying him as fast as they could without flat out running. The door was locked up tight and the key wasn’t in its usual hiding spot- something Harry had strongly disagreed with- so Eggsy glanced in the window. He couldn’t spot anyone, glancing around the cover of night, he picked out the lock picking set out of his jeans pocket he quietly managed to pick the lock almost silently. He grabbed the gun out of its hiding spot in the waistband of the jeans he was wearing. Being as light on his feet as he could possibly manage, he tiptoed through the house towards the dining room table, silently hoping that it was his dear old doppelganger sitting there rather than Harry. It wouldn’t exactly be uncommon for Harry to be working late, perhaps like once or twice a month.

Stopping at the doorway, he peeked ever so slightly into the nice dining room, his doppelganger sitting there at the table, a glass was swirling in his right hand and he was examining a piece of paper in his other. Eggsy spotted his glasses sitting on the kitchen counter where the doorway had been opened up. His hands were completely steady as he unclicked the safety off of his gun that shinned ever so slightly off its silver colored coating.

It must have been the light click sound from the gun’s safety coming off that alerted the Shapeshifter to Eggsy’s presence, giving him barely enough time to duck under the table, the bullet hitting the wall behind him. He aimed lower and shot at the table sometimes before the Shifter managed to jump up and over at him, causing Eggsy’s gun to slid across the room towards the kitchen while the creature shoved him into the main hallway, his hands wrapped around Eggsy’s neck. While the shifter pinned Eggsy against a wall, its eyes flared wrong and it looked at the hunter turned Kingsman with pure hatred in his eyes screaming, “You killed her, you killed her.” over and over again.

If he wasn’t some monster trying to choke him to death, Eggsy may have felt sorry for the guy.

But this was a shapeshifter and it was still trying to kill him so Eggsy quickly shook his sleeve, the silver knife hidden within slid down into his palm and Eggsy quickly turned it toward the shifters heart and drove it through his body. It screamed out and it’s eyes flashed like Valentine’s fireworks as the creature’s life left its body and it slid off the knife, slumping to the floor.

Eggsy wasn’t sure how long he was standing over the thing’s body, its dead eyes a color so similar to his own taunted him with a fate close to its own. It was a good long while before Eggsy had the will to go into the dining room and pick his gun up off the floor. At some point he had dragged himself out to his car and laid in the front seat for a while, mind scattered and flailing to collect itself. It was here, in the familiar old car that it occurred to Eggsy that his hidden past that he kept so buried deep within himself had nearly gotten his lover, and friends, killed. It made him want to throw up at the thought of what could have happened had he not wiggled his way out of that basement fast enough. And once again, he wasn’t really sure of what to do at this point. Did he go back and try to explain? Make the body disappear and no one ever has to know? Did he do what he always did after any old hunt and disappear into the night?

It was then he realized that his breathing had picked up considerable and some part of his mind told him that he may be in the early stages of a panic attack. His eyes widened and he tried to slouch down deeper into the seat, with little success. He forced his breathing to calm down but his lungs felt tight in his chest. He let out a long, whining sound that any passerby may mistake for a dog in the car and Eggsy truly felt like he wanted to cry.

Ten straight minutes agonizingly went by before he managed to get ahold of his mind and body. With labored breathing, he grabbed the steering wheel of car pulled himself up. The street was silent and one of the lights right down the road flickered once, twice then stayed on. It probably needed a new lightbulb and Eggsy had to laugh at himself for focusing on something so insignificant that he realized that he'd calmed down completely. What a ridiculous idea. It was then that a taxi pulled up across the street and deposited one Harry Hart from it. It was at this point in time that Eggsy was about to jump out of the car and stop him. "His" dead body was still laying in the hallway of the house.

Perhaps it was the frozen terror of the fact that he could have gotten the love of his life killed because of him and his past that kept him from springing out of the car to stop him. Either way it was already too late and he'd already seen the one thing that Harry had hoped he'd never have to see in his life.

Resigning to his fate, Eggsy started the car and drove off towards his mother's apartment.

\---------------------

"And you just left it there?" Michelle asked him when he sat down at the table and explained the situation to her. "You left Harry just hanging like that? Eggsy he won't know the difference between a Shifter and the real thing."  

"And maybe it's better that way," Eggsy snapped at her, narrowing his eyes. "I can't get him killed if I'm not anywhere near him."

"From what you've told me and what I've seen, he is very well capable of handling himself," Michelle pointed out, looking her son in the eyes, an emotion that Eggsy couldn't identify was there.

"Not against this stuff," Eggsy said. "He don't even believe in ghosts an' werewolves an' vampires, he'd think I'm crazy."

"I'm sure if you explained," Michelle started but was cut off.

"Right, sure," Eggsy said, hopelessness starting to take over his face. "An' I can get a lovely view of him calling me a freak, that is if he doesn't just laugh at me to my face."

Michelle could only sigh and look at her son. The son that looked so much like Lee Unwin.

"Did you ever tell Dad 'bout all this crap?" he asked her, his eyes looked thoughtful as he gazed off into the corner of the room.

"No," she admitted. "He died before I really had the chance too." She let out a short chuckle.

"And it wasn't even something that did him in, it was a someone. And even know I don't know the details." She looked pointedly at Eggsy, who only let out a small shrug. "I like to think he'd have believed me and still loved me. But truth of it all is I'll never know. And I think I'm ok with not knowing. Better that than the alternative."

Eggsy knew exactly what alternative she was referring to. The predicament he himself was in.

"I'm gonna leave tonight. Best options right? Think Jessie's got a case he needs someone to work?"

Michelle looked at him and Eggsy could feel the pity. She sighed. "I'll get him on the phone."

He got up and headed to the door. "Let me know."

"And Eggsy?" He stopped at turned. "I know I haven't exactly been there for you but if you ever need me."

"You're here, I know, I know."

"Also I don't agree with this choice of yours, it's dumb as reckless," Eggsy's mouth opened to fire back at her. "Let me finish. You're 26 years old Eggsy, almost 27. An adult and you make your own choices. Just don't throw your life out because you think it's the best option."

"I'm not gonna die, you're over reacting," he said quietly and if Michelle didn't know better, she'd say he was trying to convince himself.

"Be careful," she said. "If you die before me I'll kill ya."


	2. Paint It Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry discover's "Eggsy's" dead body and a bit of the aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so here's chapter two. Also if anyone is interested in maybe Beta reading for me could you please help me out. Cos I need one. 
> 
> Just leave a comment OR contact me on Tumblr (kingsman-of-ages.tumblr.com)
> 
> Title is the name of a Rolling Stones song.

It was JB that first alerted Harry that something about Eggsy was just plain wrong. JB almost never barked, not since he was a puppy and he definitely never barked at his own owner.

But the thing was Harry had no idea what was wrong with him. He looked fine and didn’t look outwardly sick. He didn’t know what Eggsy could possibly be hiding.

He’d caught Eggsy glowering at the poor dog at one point, another thing that struck him as odd since Eggsy loved JB, has since he got the little, abit annoying, pug. It was tiny things that really signified that something was wrong with his boy. Glowering at his dog, the look in his eyes when he walked into HQ, the general way he carried himself just seemed off.

“Have you noticed something odd about Eggsy?” he asked Merlin about a week after JB had started barking at Eggsy every time the dog was near him. On one occasion the dog had chosen to jump onto his lap rather than wind-up around Eggsy’s feet.

Merlin leaned back in the grey office chair he was sitting in, “Now that I that you mention it, he had seemed a bit off.”

When they asked Roxy about it, she didn’t have any specific answers either, other than noticing something was wrong as well.

“I tried to ask him about it,” she said. “I thought something had gone wrong between him and you  Harry but he said everything was fine.” She looked pointedly at Harry, “Is there something wrong?”

“Not that I know of,” Harry answered her.

They all felt uneasy after that conversation.

They’d find his body a day or two later, stabbed right through the heart.

* * *

Harry had stayed at the office late, hoping to get all his paperwork done so he could have the next day off to spend with Eggsy, trying to get something about why he may be acting weird. Something wasn’t right and Harry knew it. He just wanted to know why Eggsy wouldn’t tell him, didn’t Eggsy trust him.

No, of course Eggsy trusted him. Didn’t he?

“What are you still doing here?” a voice sounded from the doorway and Harry looked up to see Merlin standing there, clipboard in hand per usual.

“Getting that paperwork finished up,” Harry said, looking at the clock on his desk, noticing it was ten minutes to twelve thirty. “I’m almost done, I’ll leave when I’m finished.”

“Taking tomorrow off?” Merlin inquired, taking a couple of steps into the office.

“I’m spending the day with Eggsy,” he said. “The world seems relatively calm and I think you can handle things here for a day.”

“Has he gotten any better?” Merlin questioned.

Harry sighed and leaned back into the chair. “No, he’s still acting odd, getting up in the middle of the night and barely eating. JB still won’t stop barking at him but whenever he’s in the room with Eggsy he comes to me.”

Merlin nodded. “If he starts getting sick bring him down to the infirmary. And don’t stay too late.” With that Merlin turned and left the room. It took him another half an hour before he got done with all the work and he rolled up to his and Eggsy’s home around one fifteen.

Harry immediately went on alert when he noticed that the dining room light was still on. He’d assumed that Eggsy hadn’t stayed up for him. He got really worried when he went to unlocked the door to find that it was already unlocked. Eggsy always remembered to lock it before he turned in for the night. Perhaps he just forgot is all.

It was disconcerting with all the other out of characterness of it all.

Harry slowly and quietly opened the door and peeked in the house. All the other lights were off and the house was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The hallway was dimly lit from the light of the dining room and as he looked around he saw nothing immediately wrong.

Then his eyes locked onto the body that was slumped onto the floor against the wall from the dining room and everything became frozen in that moment.

Eggsy.

* * *

Harry didn’t know what happened between then and the next morning when he found himself in the Kingsman infirmary. He was vaguely aware that at some point he must have called Merlin, or maybe Merlin came over after he saw the footage from the glasses, Harry wasn’t sure.

“You’re awake,” a Scottish voice from the left side of him said. Merlin was standing there, eyes not leaving his tablet.

“How?”

Merlin looked up at him with sad eyes. “You were hysterical Harry, I had to sedate you.”

He bleakly nodded as everything came crashing back to him, the dining room light, the blood, Eggsy’s dead body laying on the floor with his eyes still wide open.

Oh God Eggsy. He sat up just a tad too quickly and the room spun causing him to lean back down again.

“He’s gone isn’t he,” was all Harry had the will to say, he felt tired and his limbs felt like bricks.

“Yes,” Merlin said quietly. “I’m sorry Harry.”

A silence descended upon the room. Harry didn’t know how long they were there before he had the nerve to find his voice.

“Have you told Michelle yet?” he asked, glancing over at Merlin from where his eyes had been focused on the white wall of the infirmary.

“Not yet,” Merlin said. “Roxy has offered to if you won’t.”

Harry could see the fear for his friend in Merlin’s eyes. His friend of almost 24 years knew him too well. Knew that in all his time of knowing him, he’d never once seen Harry anywhere near the point of hysterical. Of course, Harry’s pretty sure that Merlin had never seen him as in love with anyone as he was in love with Eggsy.

And now he was gone. And Harry could long put his face in his hands and sob.

* * *

In the end, it had been Roxy who had told Michelle of her son’s death. Harry had barely had the ambition to leave the bed for a good three days. It’d taken him a week to have the ambition to leave the infirmary and that was because Harry couldn’t go back home yet. It was just too soon.

In that week in the infirmary, Harry had some time to think on things. Especially all the ways he was going to destroy Eggsy’s murderer. He dwelled on that for a good long time.

After he left the med bay, he found himself wandering towards Merlin’s office.

“What do you have on Eggsy’s killer?” was the first thing he said when he got there, he didn’t bother knocking, he was sure Merlin could forgive him for it, just this once.

“Good afternoon to you too,” Merlin said back. “Harry are you sure-"

“Yes I’m sure Merlin,” he interrupted. “What. Do. You. Have.” It came out more as a growl than anything else.

“Not much,” Merlin said. “Your home cameras were turned off and whomever did it had enough sense to take out any CCTV cameras as well. The footage is deleted, I’m trying to get it back but.”

“But what?” Harry said, brown eyes locking on on Merlin’s.

“Whoever this is, they’re good,” Merlin admitted. “It will probably take some time.”

Harry could only sighed and sagged his shoulders.

“I’ll be as fast as I can possibly go.”

And all Harry could do was wait.


	3. Working Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy gets back into a Hunting mindset with a little help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say here. Next update will be next Friday as usual.
> 
> Also huge shoutout to my Beta Reader littlemisslawyer. Thanks a bunch.
> 
> Title is Working Man by Rush.

“Roxy stopped by the apartment today,” his mother said over the phone. Michelle called him the very next day he had left; or rather he had ‘died.’ “Told me you was dead. For a moment I believed her.”

Eggsy just let a little hum of assent to let his mother know he was there as he crawled got into his car at a gas station, a cup of coffee warming his hands.

“She looked distraught,” Michelle continued, and Eggsy could swear that there is a hint of anger on his mom’s voice. After all, Michelle knows how Roxy loves her son like his very own brother.

“She’s a tough girl,” Eggsy commented.  A few seconds passed in silence as he rested his head on headrest and closed his eyes in order to control his breathing. He carefully says his next words “She’ll be fine.”

“I ain’t doubting it,” his mother scoffed, making Eggsy grin a little. “But are you sure it’s right to keep them in the dark?”

Again, the young hunter paused, contemplating his answer. He knows how his “death” will hurt them, because he himself is hurting. He wants to say no, wants to tell his Mum that he has changed his mind and is heading home. Hell, he wants to surprise Merlin, and see his reaction. He wants to see Harry’s face and smugly tell him that he ain’t the only Kingsman who can go all Lazarus on them. But he knows what he needs to do in order to protect them, even if it hurts.

“Yeah. They’ll be fine.” he finally said it; with all the courage he could muster so his voice won’t break.

A few more seconds passed in silence, before her mother speaks again.

“You’re welcome by the way,” Michelle said, her voice playful and sassy.

Eggsy mentally sighed in relief that his mom has dropped their earlier conversation and opted to change the subject.

“For wha’?”

“Covering your silly ass with the CCTV cameras. I is thinking you’re a bit rusty there Eggs.”

Eggsy scoffed, offended yet glad that his mom had his back covered. He checked on the time on his watch; a memento of Kingsman that he cannot give up, destroying the tracking device of course.

“I’m headed out now, talk later. Give Daisy my love.” he paused “I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.” And then the line was dead.

He dropped his phone on the passenger seat, the mobile bouncing before settling. With one last sip, he placed the half empty coffee on the dashboard and started the car. The rev of engine occupied the silence and Eggsy was glad to be on the road again where no one could see the tears that came out of his eyes.

* * *

It took Eggsy exactly two cases to get himself back to business. Some habits just die hard, and being a hunter is not just a habit but also a way of life. He couldn’t help but see the similarities and differences between Kingsman and Hunting though. The siren song of danger is still there, along with the high of adrenaline rush. The familiar weight of the gun, though there is a difference with the bullets being used and the target to be shot.

Difference is, “Hunter Eggsy” is his own boss. One, he doesn’t need to answer to anyone but himself; two, he gets to choose his own job. The lack of writing out mission reports and having boring meeting or briefing and debriefing was nice. The monotony of deskwork is absent as soon as he picked up his life, and threw it back to the road. Choosing to take a break whenever he wanted one was nice. No more of Merlin’s shrilly voice booming on his house as he wakes him for another mission in Machu Picchu or in fucking Russia.

On the other hand, he missed his usual flirting/banter with Roxy, and how he takes a spin of his chav knowledge whenever he is on missions with the other agents. Or having Merlin’s (or Harry’s, sometimes) voice, as they guide him to missions, tossing some advice here and there based from their experience with their years as Kingman agents. It was a few weeks before he controlled his habit of touching his face, and realizing that he no longer wears the Kingsman issued glasses.

The complete lack of any form of medical care was a pain in the arse, Eggsy soon learned. He can see Merlin glaring as he sat in a bathroom floor of some cheap hotel, a bottle of vodka and some floss as he stitch himself up.

‘Brash and stupid as usual Galahad.’ he could practically hear Merlin’s voice, his accent thick as he use his ‘lecture voice.’

Eggsy never would have thought that he’d miss Merlin’s condescending voice as he lectures him. And Eggsy did miss it… a lot. He also missed extraction teams, and how he could just wait there, half dead while Merlin’s voice fills the com. Good times. Now it was up to him and his training to get out of any sticky situations he may find himself in.

A huge part of him wanted that all back, the perks… the people. But the logical part of him, the part of him that wants them to be safe told him to press on by himself; that everything is for the people that he loves and want to protect. They would move on, they will mourn but they would move on and forget about him. They’d be fine without him, Eggsy chuckled sadly, annoyed at how pathetic and sappy he became. He only hoped and prayed to God (if He ever listens to a meager Hunter like him) that whomever replaced him wasn’t some posh bastard like Charlie. Whoever replaced him better be damn worthy of the title of Galahad.

He spent two more days in Glasgow before heading off to another job. Being outside the copper’s radar is nice, that at the very least he has the chance to relax and let himself heal.

Time passed, five more hunts went by and before he knows it three months has already passed. Three months since he’d last seen Harry, Roxy or Merlin; three months since he last talked to his mum. But she’d understand why he didn’t call often; she was a hunter before and she knows the risks of a simple phone call can make.

Three become five, and then it becomes eight. On the eighth month, he found himself back to rainy London, sitting in his car in High Gate, watching the lone figure of Harry as he stood at his grave. His heart aches at the scene, wanting to just jump out of the car and rush to him. The temptation is strong, but he knows that he can’t give up. He drove away before the former Galahad could spot him.

On the tenth month, he found himself just south of London, working a case for his mother’s old friend, who was having a poltergeist problem in her house. This ended with him on Jessie’s couch for two weeks, sleeping off all the bruises he got on his back and shoulders.

It took a year, in a nest of bloodsuckers, surrounded of headless bodies of the vampires that he had slain. He was holding his blade, but damn it he was bleeding out fast. It must have been the exhaustion or the loss of so much blood that made him lose all of his senses. He pulled out his phone and let his fingers type the familiar number of Harry. It rang for a couple of seconds, and before he could end the call, the older knight has picked it up.

“Hello?” Harry answered, voice thick with sleep yet still alert “Who is this?”

Harry’s voice is like a hot water that was poured into Eggsy, making his body relax. Familiar. Like a speck of light on the darkness that Eggsy chose to surround himself in. The young man stifled the sobs that threatened to come through when he heard his lover’s voice, biting the inside of his cheek until he could taste the blood. God, how he missed his voice and how soothing it is. He closed his eyes and listened to Harry’s agitated voice until the older man decided that it was someone who had misdialed, and hung up the phone. He held on to the phone until he heard the beeping noise, before letting his tears fall, chocking on to the harsh sobs.

His body gave up, making him fall on to his knees as he screamed in agony and longing on the quiet night, holding himself bleeding and desperate.

Fuck. He wants his life back.

“It sounds pretty open and shut,” Jessie said over the phone as Eggsy pulled out of the gas station in a tiny town in Scotland. “Guy died in a locked apartment; no signs of forced entry and the scene was completely clean.”

Eggsy hummed as he maneuvered himself back to traffic.

“Sounds spiritish,” Eggsy said, turning right onto the road. “I’ll head that way.”

If there is one thing that Eggsy was known for in the business was that he won’t say a case is closed until he checks on it. Like this case that Jessie called him on. The poor guy’s wife was the next target, she even sent her 4-year-old daughter to stay with his sister across town as soon as he had been able to explain the whole ghosts thing, well after she was nearly killed by one.

Anna was a blonde American that James, the man who had been killed, had married and brought back to England five years ago. She’d just finished getting her citizenship when everything went tit’s up.

After finding out who the hell the ghost was and what trinket it had left, he dug up its bones and burned it with salt, promptly ending its extended vacation. Now here he is, in the middle of Anna’s kitchen, covered with dirt and grime. She offered him breakfast and a shower, which Eggsy profusely refused.

“I don’t need anything,” he had said to her but she glowered at him.

“You just saved mine and my daughter’s life, it’s the least I can do,” she said, leaving no room for argument.

She opted to grab some eggs and start the coffee machine, bustling out as she prepares them breakfast. The sky was still dark but Anna reasoned, “It’s almost morning anyway,” and prepared their food.

“So what did you call yourself?” she asked as she set the plate down in front of him as soon as he got out of the shower. She took a seat across from him at the table, her own mug of coffee steaming in front of her.

“A Hunter,” he said after his first bite of some homemade food. Fuck, it’s much better than the trash that he has been eating, even though they are nothing but eggs. “I kill monsters and ghosts, among other things.” continuing after he took a long sip of his coffee “There’s just not much to tell I suppose. I do what I do and then I leave town for the next hunt. Just kinda...”

“Drift,” she finished. “I did that a lot back in the states, before I met James. Well, I certainly didn’t do any monster hunting but I know a drifter when I see one.”

“Takes one to know one I suppose,” he said, a boyish grin painting his lips. It has been a while since he had a decent conversation, and Anna, being a mom and a somewhat kindred spirit is an easy person to talk to

“You seem, dissatisfied,” she said steadily, her blue eyes boring on to him as she take the role of an inquisitor.

“I guess you could say that. I used to hunt all the time, even after my mother stopped doing it.,” she said nothing to his response, but continued to just looked at him, as if she’s deciphering some kind of puzzle. “I mean I had something, once upon a time.” He paused, thinking about the familiar pinstripe bespoke suit, and brown coiffed hair.  “Didn’t move around so much, ya know? I settled with me mum after she got into a bad spot, and decided to just retire after she got out of it.” And then Kingsman became his world, and Harry became his life; a dream that he wished to continue and to never wake up. He smiled bitterly, covering it under the mug as he sipped the remnants of his coffee “But reality caught up and here I am, back on the road… “

“Alone,” she finished for him, giving him a sad smile, picking up the dishes, carefully placing them on the washer, before refilling Eggsy’s mug. “That’s what I see in you. Loneliness.”

That hit home. He wasn’t sure loneliness was a word but he didn’t really care either. The gaping hole on his chest, which he tries to fill by throwing himself to the hunt, the sense of longing on the familiar streets of Saville Row; of Merlin’s tech and Roxy’s back. The fucking stuffed dog in Harry’s loo; and of course, the man himself. Anna has hit home, and it had hit Eggsy hard.

“Pretty rings,” she suddenly said, spotting at the two bands on his right ring finger. Eggsy looked at his hand, a fond smile painting his face.

“This is my da’s wedding band,” he said, pointing to the silver ring. “It’s pure silver, me mum wanted something that could help protect him from all this crap even when she couldn’t.” He laughed humorlessly. “Fat lotta good it did.”

“He died?” she said, eyes curious, sympathetic at best.

“Yea,” he said. “I was a kid still. He was in the service ya know, went over to Afghanistan or somethin’ and just never came home.”

A thoughtful looked crossed Anna’s face. “I had a cousin in the service once. He went over, came back one leg missing.” She had a wistful look on her face as she narrates. “He still lives in the states with his husband, most loving couple you ever did see. They adopted a child just last year.”

“That’s good for them,” he said lamely, another arrow puncturing on the hole on his chest. His mind brought him back to Harry and the life that he had with his partner. Questions started to fill his mind of what ifs, if he hadn’t left. Would he have wanted kids? Knowing Harry and his vanity on his age, he probably would not want one. Egssy sighed, reprimanding himself for even thinking about it. It was just him now and even though he wants one, he would never bring a kid into this world while he lived his life predominately on the open road killing monsters that lurks into the dark, while breaking every law known to man. He just could never do it to a child, let alone his.

“So what about the other one?” she asked him, pointing to the darker colored of the two as she tries to distract Eggsy from his inner turmoil.

“That was a gift from me mum when I was about 12,” he said, letting his finger twist the black ring around his finger. “She had one of our family friends, Jessie, to make it for me. Said it was to protect me cos it’s made out of pure iron.”

He reached up to the silver necklace of a pentacle that had made its home around his neck, and let his companion have a look at it. He typically never took any of his jewelry off, but his necklace was the last thing he’d have to. It had been yet another gift from his mother.

“That was me mum’s,” he explained as she twirled the necklace on her fingers once, twice, three times before untwisting it and letting it drop to his chest again. “She gave it to me right before I left home to hunt again. Said it was to keep me safe.” He stopped and gently fingered it, looking at it thoughtfully. “Cos that’s what these really mean, a pentacles that is. It’s a protection from something evil.”

She nodded demurely at his answer, curiosity satisfied at the very least. They talked about anything and nothing for quite some time, Eggsy being careful on letting anything slip about his identity or his past. It was almost noon before he left the apartment, and Anna’s her sister-in-law was at the door with the latter’s little girl. Her daughter that reminded him so much of his own little flower at home, making him more determined to let this other side, this darkness of the world hidden from his little sister

He gave them one final look as Anna reunites with her child, a sense of satisfaction washing over him. That girl’s mother was alive because of him. And if he had Jessie check up on them about a month after he split from town, well, that is nobody’s business.

 


	4. Lonely is the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry's year and a half has been no better than Eggsy's really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So maybe it's a day late, sorry 'bout that. 
> 
> Once again thanks to my awesome beta, littlemisslawyer.
> 
> The title is the name of a Billy Squire song released in 1981

Harry took missions purely to let his rage out. It wasn’t a secret and everybody certainly noticed. He knew Merlin was using all he had to figure out who killed his Eggsy, but half a year has already passed pouring all resources the Kingsman has, yet they couldn’t even find a single clue or idea on how their beloved Galahad died.

“It’s like this guy’s a ghost,” Merlin said in between missions and threatening to take him out of the field. At that Harry and slouched in defeat.

“Why were the cameras in your house off?” Merlin continued. “Whoever did it must have known about them.”

Harry didn’t have an answer. The cameras in the house were always on; neither he nor Eggsy ever had the need to turn them off. But Eggsy had been acting weird the week before the incident. Did Eggsy know someone was coming for him? If so, why would he turn the cameras off? Even bigger question, why didn’t he share such information?

Six months and they had come up with more questions than answers.

“How’s Michelle been fairing?” Harry said.

“Well from what I see,” Merlin said. “Well as can be expected, anyways. Roxy has tea with her occasionally and Daisy gets bigger every day.”

Harry flinched at that. Eggsy should be around to have tea with Roxy and Michelle. Eggsy should be around to watch his little sister grow up. Eggsy shouldn’t be six feet under in a cemetery across town.

The funeral itself had been a small and quiet affair, nothing big and outlandish. And Harry had known his lover like the back of his hands, and he knew that Eggsy would have clawed his way out of the coffin the minute he smelled those posh flowers. It made Harry smile just a bit. Just a tiny bit, before the reality comes crashing back at him, and the hurt and pain returns like a mother’s slap on the face.

Eggsy’s mother and sister, Michelle and Daisy, were present, and their tears of anguish broke Harry’s heart all over again.  A few of Eggsy’s old pals, Jamal and Ryan, he believed their names were, are also there, devoid of their chav clothes and were wearing suits. Off the rack suits, but suits nonetheless, and Eggsy would have either snort or look proud at them. Roxy, Merlin and himself and along with some handful of the Kingsman agents that either knew Eggsy or had worked with him were present as well. Hell, even Dragonet, their tailor was also there to pay his respects. In the short time that Eggsy has made Kingsman, the number of people that his spark has shined through is quite a number, and Harry overwhelmed by their condolences.

It had taken him two and a half weeks before he had the courage that they'd be starting the recruitment for Galahad’s replacement. A bit long and unheard for in Kingsman history to announce the replacement procedure of a fallen agent, far more than the required twenty-four hours, but the agents know how close to home their loss is. How close it was to their King’s heart. They understood, yet protocols are protocols and it was the nature of Kingsman to be able to move on after the loss of an agent. So it had taken all of him to gather all his knights and bravely spilled the scripted words every Arthur has to say with a fallen agent. Even then, Merlin had to be the one to pick his candidate for him. Merlin chose a female recruit, which he didn’t even bother learning her name, on his behalf, and by she was a good candidate and was flourishing thru the most dangerous job interview that she will ever had the chance to apply for. She’d make a good agent, an asset if she passes all the exams that Merlin and some of the other knights are throwing her. But she wasn’t of course, Eggsy Unwin.

It was only in the evenings, when the sun is down and he is all alone on an empty house, that Harry stripped off his armor as Arthur and let the melancholy eat him. As the king of Kingsman, he cannot mourn nor let the sadness distract him from he is tasked upon him. He has a job, they have a job, and the lives of 400 Billion outweigh the life of one, even if that one holds his heart. But there are days, days that hits him the most that he’ll forget everything he was supposed to do and just sit in his office until late at night and absentmindedly twist the blue velvet box in his hand. Merlin forgives him on those days.

He was going to ask Eggsy to marry him and be a permanent fixture on his life, both on his heart and the legal papers, the next time they went out on a date to on that Italian restaurant the Eggsy had loved so much. It was one of the other man’s favorite the places to go to when they went to regularly on their “date night”. Eggsy calls it that and Harry for all his age and maturity refuses to call it with such atrocious name, thank you very much, because they are hired killers and adults and not some young teenagers. And Eggsy, well Eggsy would just roll his eyes, give Harry a kiss on the cheek and politely asks him (in a mocking voice) to get the stick out of his ass on their fucking DATE NIGHT.

And oh, what Harry would give to see Eggsy roll his eyes at him again. And the cuddles that he so abhor yet makes his heart filled with so much warmth. The little things that Eggsy makes to annoy Harry. He would give everything to have those again, but it’s all too late.

The only person he has confided with on his plan is Merlin. He is after all his best mate, and he was the one that helped him pick out the ring. They went to a store in Paris when both Eggsy and Lancelot were out on a mission, nothing dramatic like saving the world so Merlin left it to one of his minions. Being the idiot that Harry was (according to Merlin), the two agents almost blew the shop with how they argue about which is which, and finally, after so many threats on the remaining years of their like, Harry has chosen a simple silver band with some diamonds accenting it. It wasn’t flashy or overly fancy and Harry knows that Eggsy will love it. **_Would have._**

“He would’ve said yes,” a voice said from the doorway and to Harry’s surprise, he found Michelle Unwin standing there. She had cut her hair short again once more and Daisy was at her feet, looking around with wonder in her eyes at all the different newspapers on the walls. “I knocked but no one answered.” Michelle continued, her voice condescending yet amused. “Hope you don’t mind.”

He did mind, just a little bit. It’s his time to have a pity party but as he continuously turned the blue box in his hands again, he couldn’t bring himself to care at that exact moment in time.

“You never stop by,” Michelle said, taking his silence as acquiescence of her entry to his sanctuary. Daisy was already gaping on each and every newspaper clipping that Harry has on the wall, completely ignoring the tension on the room.

“Figured you wouldn’t want to see me,” Harry said, taking a drink out of his Martini. He placed too much gin, damn it. But he gulped the liquor nonetheless.

“Now why would you think that?” Michelle asked, tilting her head to the side, face frowning with concern.

Harry opened his mouth to explain but Michelle quickly cuts him off, “If your excuse is because ‘I got him killed.’ or ‘I should have been there.’ I will punch ye in the face.” Her eyes that look all too familiar made him shut his mouth with an audible click. Eggsy definitely got his mother’s glare to a T.

Satisfied, the Unwin matriarch’s face softened a bit and continued, “Answer me this then ‘Arry: were you the one that killed him?” The old spy merely shook his head in a silent no. “Then you are not guilty of killing him.”

Harry knows that. He knows that he is not the one that stabbed Eggsy through the heart and left him there for him to see.  But the thing is he should have been there. He could have helped him; he could have been alive if he hadn’t decided to stay late that night. It still haunts him, every time he closes his eyes with nothing to distract him from reality, he could see Eggsy’s eyes, dead already to the world. His little spark, gone. And Harry dies every time that he remembers.

“Look I may not know what you do for a living or what Eggsy did but you’re certainly not a tailor,” Michelle said after a long silence that permeated the room. “And before you say any bullshit, do know that I ain’t that stupid and I have eyes that I use ya know. I don’t know what ya do and I really don’t care either. But my Eggsy loved you, and believe it or not, you’re part of the family now.” she approached Harry warily, before giving him their first awkward hug “So do come by. Our door is always open for you Harry. Always.”

Harry can’t help but nod, giving on to Michelle’s hug. They were like that for a minute, before the matriarch pulled off, giving Harry a fond pat on the cheek before ushering her daughter out. Harry did not answer her invitation, yet the man did not closed off and blatantly refused it. Michelle will call it a win.

* * *

Harry didn’t know how he had gotten through the year. How was he even alive and kicking after twelve months of sorrow? It was odd on how he had lived and survived for five decades without Eggsy and yet now that he is once again alone, he cannot remember how to live his life anymore. How utterly lost he is, even though he has spent most of his life without his lover.

On the first anniversary of Eggsy’s death; he along with Merlin and Lancelot went out to the grave. Merlin was there for all but three minutes before leaving Lancelot and Harry alone. It was still fresh to him, Eggsy was after all a son to him, and it only took him that long to excuse himself, pretending to take a call. Roxy on the other hand, talked with Eggsy about her latest mission, before smiling sadly and patting the gravestone, as if Eggsy was actually there. The now Arthur was then alone to talk to Eggsy quietly, but no word has left Harry’s mouth. He was just there, staring at the name Gary Unwin, his calloused hands running to the gravestone. He would have stayed there, just doing that, if Merlin did not come and got him. He left nothing but a single white rose on the cold gray stone. That night, he found himself curled on his bed that is now far too big, with a shirt that Eggsy has owned, sobbing until he passed out.

A year and six months later, he found himself at Michelle Unwin’s house, eating a nice home cooked meal with who would be his mother-in-law, mostly because she insisted that Eggsy would have said yes to him, yes he was madly in love with him. Daisy had insisted in making him stay to color with her and Harry could do nothing but accept. She was their princess after all.

“You don’t have to do that Harry,” Michelle had said to him, a fond smile on her face while she tried and pry Daisy out of Harry’s side, but the littlest Unwin refused to. She is stubborn like her brother.

“Nonsense, it’s rather rude to turn down a lady.” He said, while sending her a sad yet fond smile.

The reply made Daisy jump in excitement and the two had ended up spending the better part of an hour on the couch, coloring in one of Daisy’s books. And if Merlin did not call him on that, then he was fine with it.

Life went on and another month has passed by. This time, Harry found himself sitting in a ‘hole in the wall’ bar on the last place a gentleman was supposed to be seen. He was still wearing his usual suit, bespoke as usual, umbrella at his side; glasses resting on his face, yet the video and audio feed are off.

It was a Wednesday night, the bar devoid of its usual noise. It was a slow night he supposes, spotting just the bartender and a few other patrons spread out in the place; one on the other end of the bar, one in the corner and two sitting across from each other at a table.

He couldn’t help but notice one customer across the bar, sitting in jeans and a jacket, smiling and lightly flirting with the bartenders, occasionally running his hands through his dirty blonde hair. He wore an all too familiar cheeky grin that makes the one of the bartenders to blush and chuckle at him.

He reminded Harry of Eggsy on both the worst and best ways. It was just like one of those days Eggsy and he spent when they both had time off, scarce and spontaneous days where the world is miraculously not crumbling down, and the only time when they could curl up on the couch together, or get out for dinner instead of their usual take away. Those days when Eggsy would flash his bright grin at him and Harry could just get lost in his eyes and never want to be found again.

He barely noticed when the same man he was staring at came over with his cheeky grin and bright eyes. Damn it, he even holds the swag much like Eggsy’s now that he noticed him. His eyes were brown unlike Eggsy’s incomprehensible one (sometimes green, yet sometimes blue). His features were off and he was a bit shorter as well, and perhaps not as fit as Eggsy was. Harry can’t help but catalogue him; he was a veteran spy after all.

But other than that, it was like looking at a mirror of Eggsy. Well, what could pass as a mirror of Eggsy Unwin that is.

“Hey,” he said, grin never leaving his face.

“Hello,” he said, keeping his voice pleasant because a gentleman is always polite. “May I help you?”

“I dunno,” he said, shrugging. “I was sittin’ over there an’ I couldn’t help but notice that you came in here lookin’ like someone shot your puppy.”

“Rough year,” Harry said in reply, before drowning the rest of his martini, and waving for another one.

“Wanna talk about it?” there it is again, that cheeky grin still intact on the younger man’s face.

“Not really.”

The man was not swayed with Harry’s clipped reply, and instead his grin stayed.

Harry didn’t know if he wanted it to stay or if he wanted to punch it right off the guy’s face. Mentally counting from thirty down to calm himself, he settled on looking at the drink placed in front of him, opting to ignore the younger man.

“Anywhom,” the guy continued, as if not noticing that Harry is not on a pleasant mood to chitchat. “I don’t want t’be too forward or anythin’ bruv but wanna get out of here? I got a decent place right near here.”

A morally right person might stop it there. A SANE person would actually drink their alcohol, wave for the check and walk out. After all who would go and flirt with someone who reminded them so much of their dead lover? He did down his drink and wave at the bartender. But he did not pay his bill and walk away. Instead, he bought the other man a drink and another for himself, and somehow Harry loosens up a bit on his third glass and is now blatantly flirting with the other man. It took about half an hour before the Eggsy look-a-like proposed that they get out the establishment.

And he went home with the guy.

And he couldn’t remember in the morning if he had screamed Eggsy’s name or not.


	5. Street Fighting Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we meet Nick, and to a lesser extent, Jessie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Lame names I know, I'm not to good at naming characters)
> 
> Thank you to my wonderful Beta reader, littlemisslawyer
> 
> So this chapter is short (sorry). It's mostly to meet 2 OC characters then the next chapters will be longer (and it will hopefully pick up from there). Sadly there won't be a reunion any time soon but it is a'coming! 
> 
> The chapter title is Street Fighting Man by the Rolling Stones (1968)
> 
> (Also come scream headcanons and prompts at me at kingsman-of-ages.tumblr.com)

Nick was an interesting fellow. He was the son of two immigrants from India who had moved to England with the hope of having a better life for their son. He born and raised in Sussex, though he would still insist on his Indian accent, even though he sounds ridiculous. His father passed away when he was but a wee lad, leaving Nick’s mom to fend for their boy. He dreamt of becoming a doctor one day, having the grades needed for scholarship, but fate intervenes.

Nick became a Hunter after the murder of his mother, or rather, when he saw his mother being sucked dry by a bloody vampire. It’s a good thing that scalpels are silver, or he would become the leech’s dessert. And the rest… well let’s say is a history.

Eggsy had the pleasure of working five times since becoming a hunter himself, though they are not that close and most of his reputation, Eggsy heard from the gossip jungle in Jessie’s bar in Liverpool.

The years were good to Nick, having aged like a fine wine even though their life is no that grand. He was still hunting at the age of 31, not going anywhere but the road and “living the dream” as he had put it. He also hadn’t changed much in the years Eggsy had stopped Hunting, his face nor his physique not aging for a bit. Eggsy thinks that the man had an agreement with a crossroad demon, eternal youth for a night in a shack.

“Fuck you kid. I’m not hooking up with some demon to get this perfection,” he said to Eggsy when they both found themselves in Village, commonly known as Jessie’s bar.

In the middle of nowhere, Village has been a haven to all the Hunters passing by, having a decent sized space where anyone can seat somewhere and drink or rest. Mostly drinking. Hunters are blessed with a very sturdy liver, thank you very much.

Jessie and a couple of his barkeeps kept a strict eye on the place and he wasn’t afraid to let “junior”, his big ass gun out to anyone who sullies the place with their rowdiness. Bar fights, especially between Hunters, are not allowed. Jessie along with his big man, Dave, will throw anyone (and he means anyone) out on the cold night. Other than that it was a place where Hunter’s went for cases, get patched up or just to take a day off. Or the day when the stars align and no shit happen.  That was the kind of thing that happened once every blue moon or so. And no Hunter would look a gift horse in the mouth

“An’ typically,” he continued, taking a sip of his beer “Brats like you don’t change much either.”

“Guess not,” Eggsy replied, he too nursing his own Guinness. Not that it reminds him of someone, but rather he has acquired the taste. “Still stuck in the same loop of saving people, hunting things.”

Eggsy saw Jessie, their papa bear nodding at him and Nick as a greeting. The two hunters returned it easily before succumbing to another silence. Jessie, on the other hand is a 70-somethin’ black man that was, for lack of a better term- a grump. He was born and raised as a Hunter, coming from a long line of hunters. Now, he and his wife settled down to run the bar and look after the younger Hunters- including the crazy ones such as Eggsy and Nick.

Hunters, by nature are typically closed off people who are practically shadows;. If a Kingsman’s name is written on the paper three times, upon birth, their marriage and death, a hunter’s name on the other hand never appears. Not once. Plus, they certainly are not fond of sharing their life stories with strangers. Paranoids, the lot of them.

Although, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they were overly rude or ignorant people. They didn’t live in complete solitary, marrying is unlikely but some do marry normal people, others marry other hunters much like themselves.

Others just flat out had partners that they worked with and nothing else in their lives. Nick had none of these things, he rolled into town, did his job then left. Easy, simple and efficient.

“Now I’m fucked ‘cos my car broke down and it’d take a fortune to fix up completely,” Nick tells Eggsy. The two continuously nurse their drinks while they spend their rare dayoff, sitting at a table in the corner of the Village. The two hunters were watching the bar’s patrons come and go, nodding to some familiar faces. It wasn’t busy per say, but it certainly wasn’t dead.

“Let me take a look at it,” Eggsy suggested. “I might be able to get it on the road.”

Believe it or not Eggsy can fix a car. He may be called a “car whisperer” even though he is not a mechanic by trade. He knew his way around a vehicle’s engine and motor systems, having been taught by Michelle when he was a wee lad.

Three days later, they find themselves on the garage that houses Nick’s American muscle (his preferred car, thank you very much). Eggs was wearing a white shirt which he instantly regrets as soon as he started the engine. Smoke fills the entire car, enveloping the both of them with sooth. Once they got over their coughing fit, he looked at Nick with disbelief.

“And this thing was still on the road a week ago?” Eggs shook his head, patting at the car, and dare he say cooed at it “Miracles do happen, apparently.”

“Guess it’s off to the junkyard with the ol’ girl.” Nick just sighed, clucking his tongue before looking forlornly at his baby.

“For the best,” was the sympathetic reply “All good things come to an end.

After Eggsy let Nick say goodbye to his baby, and got another car for himself (with Eggsy’s approval of course), the two hunters were back on the Village, playing pool and drinking beer.

“I think we as a whole spend too much time here,” Eggsy said, knocking the sixth ball to the corner pocket, almost touching the tenth ball “I mean I could have been out and about two days ago for a job, but here I am playing pool with an old man.”

“Watch your mouth, brat.” was the instantaneous reply making the former spy smile.

“I mean the break’s nice after the three month fast track I did.” the younger hunter cursed when he missed the seventh ball.

“I can understand that,” Nick said, chalking up his own pool stick before aiming at the seventh ball, trying to send it to the left pocket, giving his own curse when he failed to do so “I think Jessie’s getting sick of us as well.”

They both looked over to where the older man was standing. Jessie was behind the bar, a towel in his hands and a soapy glass in the other. He was starting to clean up before the rush hour started. He eyed them, his signature eyebrow was raised at the two hunters. Eggs and Nick gave him a wave of greeting. The older man’s eyebrow raised even further, and Eggsy was sure that if the man was not busy, he would be giving them the finger.

Three games later, Eggsy beating Nick 2-1 when Jessie finally came over and dropped a newspaper on the green pool table top.

“Get the hell out’a here ya jackarses,” he growled at them before retreating back to his bar. The two younger hunters looked at each other before starting to laugh. Jessie looked back at them, and this time, delivered a solid finger at the two before making his way to the kitchen.

“You were right,” Eggsy said once Jessie was out of hearing range “He was trying to  subtly get rid of us.”

He picked up the paper and felt a stab at his heart. Pure nostalgia hit him up when the memory of Harry and his office walls filled with ridiculous headline He missed him, after all this time.

Trying to bury his melancholy, he turned the paper to Nick who was looking at him expectantly. “Looks an awful lot like a werewolf here,” Eggsy started out, “So, interested in joinin’ me?”

The shit eating grin he got in return was enough to answer him.


	6. Long Long Way from Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy travels about with Nick. Also a new Hunt beings.
> 
> And poor Harry continues to slowly deteriorate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (As always I love my beta littlemisslawyer how lovely ily)
> 
> The chapter title is Long Long Way from Home by Foreigner (1977).
> 
> Also come say hi at kingsman-of-ages.tumblr.com

Eggsy has forgotten how good it was to work with another hunter. Nick is still on tip top shape even if the years are already catching up on him. If Eggsy would be asked to describe his partner, he can say that the man is a great hunter, sometimes an asshole, but at the very least, he is not 100% a bastard; maybe 95% of the time. But hey, that what makes him cool in Eggsy’s books. .

It also makes sense that the two hunters are at a local tavern after putting a silver laced bullet to a werewolf’s head. Shrugging it off into a good night, they opted to down a couple beers, laughing in anything and everything that is connected to irony that is their life. Often, they found them at yet another pool table, taking off a couple hundred pounds between the two of them. If there is another thing that people should fear about them, is that they can hustle all your money (in your pockets and hell, even the one stashed on your boots) like they are made for it.

Life, though a bit shitty is a-fuckin-mazing. By the end of the night they were sitting in a hole in a wall motel room, clinking cold beers as they split their early earning (£450, thank you very much).

For the first time in a very long time, Eggsy felt some sense of normalcy. Nick has become an older brother he never asked for; an anchor to the life that he is now living. It’s a good thing that the other hunter does not pry. He doesn’t look at Eggsy like he just lost a million pounds. Yup, Nick is indeed good in Eggsy’s books.

Another trip to Liverpool was set, and once again, Eggsy transferred part of Nick’s arsenal from the older man’s trunk into his, giving the rest to Jessie to pawn off as he pleased. Nick has officially said his farewell to his car, and hitched on to Eggsy’s.

_“Might as well.” Nick said before riding shotgun on to Eggsy’s car._

Several hunts more along with Nick and for the first time in a while, Eggsy did not feel alone. He is taking a certain comfort in the camaraderie he had found with the older hunter. The respect on not meddling with each other’s past is a silent agreement. Nick didn’t ask questions on why Eggsy chose to be back after his pseudo-retirement and Eggsy, in turn, never pressed any issues that Nick had. It wasn’t unlike the friendship he had with Roxy all those months ago, but still, he sometimes see the female Lancelot with the other hunter.

Without realizing it, two years has already gone by and Eggsy felt much more free than he had once before. Slowly but surely, the paranoia that he had acquired when he was a spy subsides, and he started to sleep a wee bit easier knowing he had someone watching his back. It is true that his heart still ached for the friends he left behind, but his heavy heart had lighten bit by bit when Nick crashed into his life. Hell, it might even have the same effect with the older hunter as well.

The new company certainly made Michelle Unwin happy, now that his baby boy won’t be hunting alone. That’s not the only change that happened on the twenty four months that they were apart. Michelle in turn had started to date someone. Michelle dating is quite a leap that Eggsy wasn’t sure she was ready for but Michelle placated her son when she told him that the man is nowhere near Dean.

“He’s not Dean.” was what all the female Unwin said when Eggsy started protesting, and that was the end of it.

Eggsy could have sworn he heard his mother mutter “Never again.” under her breath and he didn’t say anything about it. Eggsy merely grinned and promptly changed the subject to their latest hunt, a banshee if he remembered correctly. With all the things that he goes to, it’s not like he’s making any tally of the monsters that they encounter.

It was months after the two-year mark that they came across a hunt that truly nipped at Eggsy in every way it could. It had started after a series of deaths that neither of them could pinpoint except for a single bar in town that all the victims had in common, so that’s where they were.

“I’m just sayin’,” Nick said. “This place is a wee bit posh for us.” It really was, Eggsy had to admit. It was a bit more posh, and exactly a place where most Hunters wouldn’t ever dare set foot in. There was a reason Hunters stuck in seedy bars and dirty motel rooms.

“I know,” Eggsy replied, nervously adjusting the tie around his neck. “But if we want to stop the killings, this is the only way how.”

Well, that was that and now they are stuck on a suit they nicked on the most expensive bar (well expensive for Nick’s state, Eggsy went to a more upscale one).

“Just relax Nick,” Eggsy started. “You’re going to attract attention if you act too suspicious. Go get us some drinks and try to keep it normal as possible.”

With a roll of his eyes, the older hunter left Eggsy on his own devices. Even though he’s not on active duty for so long, Eggsy’s training always kicks in, scanning every inch of the club. He was so focused on the man on the other end, not noticing when someone came up behind him.

“Excuse me,” she said, making Eggsy jump slightly. He spin off from his chair only to see a blonde haired woman in a black dress.

“Have I met you before?” she asked, head cocking to the side as she tries to remember who Eggsy is. “I apologize for being too forward but I think I have the pleasure of meeting you before.”

Startled, though he did not show it to the unexpected companion, Eggsy tried to remember from past mission when he was still a spy on the people that he has met, and the aliases that he has used. Recognition dawned on to his face as soon as he picked out the memory of some posh party that he had the pleasure of attending before.

“Lady Montague-Herring, correct?” he started, his stance changing as to the posh brat persona that he had used on a mission. “Party in south London a couple of years back. The one with the weird tasting champagne?” He smiled, as if he’s relieving the past even though he is carefully wearing the mask that he had used against the said girl “You’re the one who suggested a to try different drink to me.”

Her face lit up with recognition, face splitting on a wide grin. Eggsy ushered her to take a seat, the one that Nick had occupied a while ago. His training on being a gentleman is kicking in once more, like a suit that he constantly wears. Nothing much as the one that he is wearing now, but it will do.

“A face such yours is hard to forget. I can clearly remember the time when I came back and all three of you were gone.” was her reply as she slid on to the empty chair.

“I apologize on our rudeness, but something did came up and we have no time to say proper goodbyes,” he lied smoothly; sitting up straighter and plastering the most pleasant smile that he can muster. He glanced at the familiar form of Nick who is slowly approaching them; hands occupied with the promised drinks, shoulder tensed but maintained a relaxed façade. He gave Eggsy a confused stare, in which the other hunter replied with a tilt of his head. _Not a monster._ A sign that made Nick relaxed.

“Good Evening.” he gave their guest a smile, before giving Eggsy his drink and seating on the vacant chair on the other side of Eggsy.

“Good Evening as well.” and by the twinkle on the female’s eyes, Nick has somehow passed as a company she is willing to talk to.

And talk they did, as Lady Montague-Herring made light chatter, while Eggsy replies as best as he can. Nick made several comments here and there, but their eyes are still focused on the club that they were in, still hyperaware of what is happening around them.

“My lady, I am curious.” Eggsy started, all the female’s attention on him “Is there something odd that has been happening here? An eerie feeling perhaps?”

Montague paused, clearly thinking of an answer to Eggsy’s query.

“Nothing obvious,” she hummed in response “After all, I only visit this place every couple of weeks.”

Eggsy almost sighed in defeat, the lack of information already ticking on him.

“However…” and that took Eggsy’s attention as Montague continues “I do have a friend who saw some guy… Jonathan Nicholson I think his name is, leave with a woman a couple of nights back.” Another pause as she sipped on to her drink. Eggsy and Nick are now listening to her attentively, waiting patiently on to his next words. “And when she saw the woman passed by a mirror, she swears that she saw a different woman. Apparently she had pale skin- creepily pale she said for a normal person Bald and had these hollow eyes.” A shiver ran pass her, but she smiled as if it was some kid of joke or was simply refusing to believe something supernatural might happen “I don’t know if she’s lying or not but it is what it is.”

Eggsy was quiet, daring to take a glimpse of his partner. Nick gave him a slight nudge on the leg, affirming that Jonathan is indeed a name of interest.

“Want to know the weirdest part?” she continues, taking a large sip on her drink and promptly finishing it. “Two days later, he murdered his own mother. It was weird…” Eggsy didn’t hear anything after that, his mind much too preoccupied on the story that she had shared.

A few drinks had gone by and the topic was already forgotten. All too soon she was thoroughly plastered and Eggsy silently helped her out the door. Once he had secured a cab for her, he gave the cabbie  £20 to take her home. As soon as the cabbie is gone, he made his way on his own vehicle where his partner is already waiting.

“Old friend?”

“More like an acquaintance.” he replied, shrugging off his tie “Let’s get back to the hotel, I think I have something,” he said, opening the driver’s side door and climbing into the car with Nick hopping into the passenger seat.

* * *

 

Obviously, it would be Merlin who will point out to Harry of his new found obsession with one night stands involving a long line of young street kids just looking for a good time. More importantly they all seemed to have features that were similar to Eggsy’s one way or another. Be it the color of the eyes, hair, hell even the same accent of the once Galahad use.

“If you’re here to lecture me about the impropriety and how unhealthy it to sleep around trust me I already know,” Harry snapped to his old friend. He wanted to stop, trust me he did. He bloody wants to, but the one night stands that he has serves as a temporary Band-Aid in his hollow heart.; a temporary stopper to the pain that is overflowing on his very being. “It’s not even the sex that I‘m addicted to it’s the…” He turned his head away to look out a window.

“There is nothing wrong in mourning one’s love,” Merlin said softly, yet his voice is that of steel. The typical way Merlin expresses sympathy and empathy.  “I don’t bloody care how you cope with the loss that you feel. Trust me, I really don’t.” he paused, sighing thru his nose “But it has already been two years. Do you really think this is what Eggsy would want for you?”

Something in Harry snapped, the calm that he had now lost and the second shoe came flew on to the boffin. “I know damn well what he would want for me!” He shouted, making Merlin flinch.

Harry wasn’t sure if there was ever a time when he yelled at Merlin. They’d always been on good terms. And now that he thinks about it, after Eggsy’s death, h hadn’t been exactly pleasant to anyone. To most he may have seemed composed and seem to be moving past the death of his lover. But who is he kidding, everyone in Kingsmen knew.

He rarely went on field missions anymore, and it’s not just because he was Arthur. It was because now that Eggsy is gone, no one would have the guts to work with the almighty Arthur. Also, Merlin refuses to leave him out of his sight. He knew Merlin was worried about him and he also didn’t miss Lancelot’s ever watchful eye on him whenever she was around. It wasn’t pity in her eyes though, much like his old friend’s but rather it was just plain old sadness. It makes Harry hurt much more. He’ll take the looks of pity over sadness anytime

Everybody started moving on. Slowly but surely, life passed without the loud mouth and dazzling smile of one Eggsy Unwin. But Harry somehow he couldn’t bring himself to move on just like the others. He was stuck in a limbo. Harry’s life stopped the day Eggsy died.

He didn’t try to date anyone in the past two years; one night stands excluded. It feels like he’s cheating with Eggsy overtime he so much think of trying to find happiness to another person. Hell, Harry was sure he’d never go out with anyone again. There is no one in the world could ever replace his Eggsy, the man practically branded his name in Harry’s heart, mind and very soul.

Anything resembling love in Harry’s life had died along with Eggsy. The brat even taking it to his grave and beyond.

And if Merlin found him in the gym later on, punching, well basically destroying the punching bags, well he never said anything.


	7. Haven't We Been Here Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick catches himself a Siren. 
> 
> And Eggsy well...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per usual, thanks a bunch to littlemisslawyer the amazing beta reader.
> 
> Title:  
> Haven't We Been Here Before by Styx (1983)

Guess what, they were at the club again. After so many nights of stalking and trying to gain information, the two hunters still got nothing with their prey.

Eggsy was now getting annoyed. It has been four days of abusing their liver and overusing their charm, but still nothing. They decide to divide and conquer this night, having Nick at the police station, looking through local files, trying to find another connection between all of the victims and Eggsy, in turn, had volunteered, or more like voluntold, to go poke around the club even more. It was fun the two nights, but when the third, and now the fourth came, Eggsy’s polite smiles are now vicious like. One even told him that he smiles like “The Joker”now, which is 10% hilarious and 90% annoying.

The universe must have something against Eggsy because once again, someone came up behind him, and apparently his spy training has flown out the window as he shrieked (in a manly way of course).

“Sorry about that,”his intruder said with his cool baritone voice, coated with posh. Eggsy did a double take when he saw the man in question. He was about 50 years old, Eggsy’s estimation that is, clad in a well-tailored suit (“Bespoke”, Eggsy told himself). Eyes trailing to the man’s head, he saw that the man has a well trimmed locks, with a trickle of grey peppering his ebony colored hair. If Eggsy didn’t know it any better, he may take the new stranger as Harry’s twin. “May I?”

Eggsy gave a court nod before motioning to the free seat across from him. The stranger smiled, carefully sliding on the offered chair.

“Henry Monroe,”he said after a couple of beats, offering his hand out for Eggsy. The ex-spy looked at it curiously, before accepting the offered hand..

Henry gave him a small smile and Eggsy could have sworn he was looking at Harry. The dim lighting of the place really created a shadow that lets Eggsy play with his imagination, and pretends that it was Harry he was talking to.

“Eggsy,”he replied, offering his name, because even though he is no Kingsman spy, he’s still a gentleman. “So what’re you doin’here?”He opted to engage into a small chat, after all, what’s the harm in flirting with the Harry look-a-like (“Henry”his mind supplied)? With that thought, his smile turned to into a cheeky grin. “Don’t see many like you in a place like this?”

“It’s my age isn’t it?”he asked, raising an eyebrow. “You’re saying I’m too old to be.”

Eggsy shook his head, his smile not wavering.

“‘Course not handsome,”Eggsy said, giving him a cheeky wink, “You don’t look a day over 30.”

Henry hummed in disbelief, leaning back his chair. His eyes flitted towards the door for a second, before going back on Eggsy. “So, let’s have a mindless chat… _Eggsy_.” And by hell, Eggsy shivered at how the man purred his name.

And chat they did. A mindless exchange, a pace of getting to know each other, and before they knew it, they had been talking for an hour.

“I apologize.”Henry suddenly said, after Eggsy was done talking about his interest on different kinds of cheese.

“Apologize for what, bruv?”

Eggsy was expecting that the man is about to excuse himself. Go back to his wife and children after talking to some chav like him. And then, before he knows it, Henry reached across the table and kissed him.

The hunter failed to react; caught on the surprise that Henry must have been apologizing of. His lips was warm, and the press of it is all too familiar, that it reminded of Eggsy of the times when Harry and him are alone together.

It felt fucking fantastic and so familiar. Eggsy was on top of the fucking mountain. His body felt hot, and he suddenly wants more. More of the aphrodisiac that Henry’s lips apparently have. He was so high from the kiss that he failed to notice that the other man has pulled out.

“Oh dear me,”he was saying, stammering on his words. “That was terribly unacceptable of me and-”

Eggsy cut him off by pulling Henry back and kissed him like a nymphomaniac on death row. This time, it was Henry that was frozen in shock, before he reciprocated on the kiss.

“Want to leave?”Henry breathed as soon as he is allowed to, but Eggsy was already up and on the way out before Henry could even composed himself.

 

 Eggsy has to admit. Henry is one hell of a guy in bed, probably one of the best lay he ever had since disappearing from his life with Harry. After a round bouts of sex until the wee hours of morning, the two found themselves were laying in the same bed, neither one of them were planning on dozing off. Somehow, Eggsy had the urge to roll over and set his chin on Henry’s chest. He made himself comfortable before giving a short sigh.

Warm hands found its way to Eggsy’a hair, and started massaging his scalp. Eggsy gave a purr of contentment at the treatment; like a cat who is being petted by his master.

“That was great,”Eggsy said, eyes closed as he relish at the treatment the older man was giving him“You get five gold stars.”

Henry gave a short laugh, before fingers found themselves across Eggsy’s jaw, where a scruff had grown in and Eggsy had never bothered to shave it. It felt nice. Comfy. Domestic. He leaned up and kissed Henry again, and Eggsy could swear that it felt even better this time than the last time.

“Is there anyone in your life?”the older man asked “Girlfriend? Wife? Husband?”

The question took Eggsy off guard. He was quiet for a bit before replying with carefully chosen words.

“Just my…friend,”he replied, forcing himself not to look with his bed partner. “He’s like the brother I never had ya know, but much more frustrating at times. But, I know that he got my back.”

“Frustrating,”Henry repeated. “How so?”

“Just that…the way he acts sometimes. His constant nagging about my bad habits like a mother hen but,”he snorted “He never took his own advice. He has a terrible habit but he refuses to stop them as well. He just blows me off every time I bring them up,”

Eggsy’s tongue felt a little bit loose, his brain forgetting that this is not Harry. He is a stranger that he met at the bar, yet somehow, words are pouring out of his mouth like vomit. He was high on the feeling of utter bliss that he refuses to listen to the little voice in his head, ordering him to stop.  “Sometimes I swear I just want to smash his fucking face in and be done with it.”

“Why don’t you?”

“I…,” Eggsy paused, thinking of a way to answer such query. “I don’t know.”Red flags are already rising in his head but his mind refused to cooperate. He is suddenly filled with the thought of hunting Nick down and just bash his smug fuckin’head.

Before Eggsy could comprehend what is happening, he found himself along with Henry in front of the hotel that he and his partner is staying at. Nick had called him sevral times on the way there and Eggsy just didn’t picked up the phone, while Henry just kept quiet and watched Eggsy on the sidelines. All rational thought from Eggsy were long gone and had probably been gone the instant Henry first put him lips to his. Everything is just a haze, and all of a sudden he wanted everything to be real. He wanted his own personal fantasy to exist in a place other than his own mind.

“Hey,”Nick said as soon as the door opens and the heavy set of Eggsy’s boots filled the once silent room. “Where were you?”

“Gettin’laid,”Eggsy said lazily. He reached down into this pocket and was acutely aware of Henry in the doorway, the ever-silent observer.

“Hm”he hummed, still engrossed on the article that he was reading. “So I think this thing’s called a Siren.”As soon as Nick looked up at Eggsy, whose hand was curled around a knife in his pocket, it was then that he noticed Henry behind him. As soon as Nick focused on Henry before focusing on Eggsy, whose sporting a dazed look, his eyes widened in realisation.

Carefully placing his laptop down, Nick grabbed something from his side. It appears to be a bronze coloured item, what it was, Eggsy has no idea.

“Really Eggsy,”Nick sighed exasperatedly, shaking his head at the younger hunter “Sorry chap, but you’ll thank me later.”

In a flash, Nick grabbed Eggsy by the wrist and forced the knife through the fabric of his jacket, piercing his skin. Eggsy’s eyes went wide with the sudden jolt of pain as Nick then threw him to the side, forcing Eggsy stumbled right into the wall. Brain muddled with pain, the next thing he heard is a hissing sound. Attention caught, Eggsy looked over to where it is coming from, only to see Henry and Nick throwing punches. The flesh wound throbs but something is  happening to him, which makes his head spin.  

Bile rose in his throat as he tried to focus on what is happening. But Eggsy has lost the battle on being conscious, and he surrendered to darkness.

\------------------------

A few days right after their attack, Nick and Eggsy are back to the road. The older hunter has been patient with him, refusing to ask as to how in the seven hells did Eggsy succumb to the siren’s lure. Eggsy was thankful for that, but her also feels every bit guilty that he brought their enemy on their very doorstep. Hell, he almost killed Nick because the son of a bitch told him so.

So, it was in the car ride to the next town that Eggsy spilled everything to Nick. Well technically not everything. He still refused to tell him about Kingsman, and how it actually was a spy organization. Though he did talk about Harry. Everything about Harry.

“Just fuck,”he said, once he’d finished, silently thanking Nick for staying silent in the passenger seat. He breaths heavily as he tries to control the emotions that is swirling on him “I miss ‘im so fucking much that it hurts.” he tries not to sob, but damn it, he can’t help but to let one escape “Damn it, everything hurts.”

Nick’s eyes are still on the road, refusing to look at Eggsy on one of his most vulnerable moment. He let Eggsy have his dignity in tack, the very least the older man can do as the younger hunter’s melancholy fill his heart.

“Why didn’t you just tell him the truth?”Nick asked him after a long stretch of silence.

“He wouldn’t believe me.”Eggsy gave a strangled laughed. “God he’d probably hate my guts for lyin to him. May even call me a freak or lecture me on how it’s “ungentlemanly”being a hunter is. How crude our methods are, barbaric even. Because seriously bruv,  our job is 50 Shades of Fucked Up. Everyone knows it, as if it’s not state secret.”

And yeah. Being a hunter is not actually a secret. He knows very well what are those, redacted files and all that shit. Hell, his existence was a secret when he is in Kingsman.

Silence engulf the car once again, the hushed sounds of AC/DC serves as the only noise inside the vehicle.

“From how you've described him…,”Nick started out, “I think he’ll try to understand you. Look at it this way; least he wouldn’t have to learn about you being a hunter the hard way. He’ll know that you’re still alive…if you ever get the balls to tell him.”

“He’d hate me even more,”Eggsy said, more winning actually. “After lying to him for over two years? He’d never want to see me again. Even then what would I do? Hey Harry, I’m alive just thought you should know, bye gotta go work a job.”

Fuck, he’s never been more afraid on doing something that this; telling Harry that he is fucking alive for almost three years now. He faced so many death defying things and yet, a simple call or even knocking on Harry’s door terrifies him.

And fuck, Harry will try to understand. Perfect Harry ‘fucking’Hart will try to understand, and even try to help Eggsy as he tries to kill the monsters that only lives on books and stories.

Or the worst of it, finding out that Harry didn’t need him anymore. That Harry has already moved on while he was still stuck in the past, never moving at all. He’s been gone for a long time, and…Eggsy certainly couldn’t face that.

The Siren had been the first person he’d slept with since he left London and even then, it was because he’d been drunk and the Siren just got his sweet spot, looking so closely to one Harry Hart. He wasn’t delusional; he knew why the siren has targeted him after all.

“You never know,”Nick whispered.

Eggsy’s silence is his answer making Nick sigh. He stepped on the gas and turned the music up higher.

“So I think I found this job about a day out from here…”

**Author's Note:**

> kingsman-of-ages.tumblr.com


End file.
